New Orleans Pelicans basketball star Zion Williamson has filed a legal denial against rape accusations made by a Jane Doe in Los Angeles court.
The 26-year-old power forward issued a general denial to every allegation in the complaint, claiming he did not harm the woman in any way and describing their interactions as a consensual "friends with benefits" relationship.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Williamson described their interactions as friendly, casual, pleasant, and consensual. He stated that the two never lived together and asserted that she repeatedly attempted to initiate sex while he was unavailable or out of town.
Williamson added that the relationship ended in May 2023. He argued that Doe's claims of assault, battery, sexual battery, domestic violence, and stalking fall outside their respective statutes of limitations.
The 6-foot-6 NBA player called the domestic violence allegation nonsensical, explaining that they never cohabited or interacted frequently enough for their relationship to be considered domestic under the law.
Although filed in California state courts, the complaint references alleged encounters across North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, and California. Williamson denied that any such conduct occurred in any of the four states and maintained that California statutes on sexual battery, domestic violence, and stalking cannot be applied to events in other states.
Williamson is a power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, a professional basketball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana, that competes in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association. Selected as the overall top pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson gained national prominence playing college basketball for Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Allegations detailed in civil lawsuit
The civil lawsuit was initially filed in late May in Los Angeles and obtained by the Daily Mail. In the complaint, Doe identifies herself as Williamson's former girlfriend and accuses the athlete of rape and physical abuse.
The lawsuit details two specific rape allegations alongside an alleged continuing pattern of abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior. The filing provided by Doe's counsel asserts that the abuse was sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature.
Doe alleges that Williamson choked or smothered her during instances of abuse, causing her to fear for her life, while also threatening her life and the lives of her family members.
According to the complaint, Doe and Williamson began dating around 2018 while he was attending Duke University. The filing states that the relationship continued through June 2023, by which time Williamson was playing in the NBA for the Pelicans.
The lawsuit describes a first alleged rape occurring in the fall of 2020 after Williamson moved to Beverly Hills, California, to train during the COVID pandemic. Doe states she was picked up at a hotel by an individual described as Williamson's agent and brought to his home, where Williamson was not initially present.
When Williamson arrived home late that evening, Doe attempted to leave. The lawsuit claims Williamson called her stuck up and a b**** before demanding sex, then pinned her down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her after she refused.
Doe further alleges that Williamson denied her access to her phone, choked her, and yelled at her for talking too much during the incident.
A second rape is alleged to have taken place a month later after Doe expressed a desire to visit a friend in San Diego. According to the complaint, Williamson forbade her from going, became enraged, and threw objects, causing her to feel terrified.
The filing states that Williamson picked Doe up, threw her onto the floor, and violently raped her. He is then accused of withholding her phone and laptop for a period of time to prevent her from contacting medical help or reporting the assault.
Doe maintains that these occurrences were not isolated incidents, but formed part of a broader pattern of abuse, rape, and assault.
Legal representatives issue contrasting statements
Attorneys for both sides have made contrasting public statements regarding the lawsuit.
Following the initial filing, Sam Taylor of The Lanier Law Firm, representing Doe, stated: "We and our client do not want to litigate this case in the press. However, I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the Complaint filed in Los Angeles County. Our client looks forward to her day in court before a jury of her peers to obtain justice in this matter."
Responding to Williamson's legal defense, Taylor accused the player's team of a number of misrepresentations, adding: "We have every intent to take this matter to trial, openly hold Mr. Williamson accountable and send a message that no one is above the law. Each of these claims is supported by witnesses and corroborating evidence, but this filing still requires extraordinary courage on her part."
Rachel Lanier, also of The Lanier Law Firm, issued a statement in May detailing the claims: "This case shows a disturbing pattern of coercive control, threats, and domination, including stalking, strangulation and threats with a loaded firearm. Mr. Williamson used his wealth and fame to isolate, silence and control my client, who only after many months of medical treatment and counseling is able to come forward and describe what she endured."
Williamson's legal team at Usdin, Kupperman, Freeman & Sarver issued a statement in May 2026 strongly rejecting the allegations:
"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff's third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance."
"Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago."
"At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns."
"Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars."
"Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff's extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit."
"While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson."
The Daily Mail has contacted attorneys representing both Williamson and Doe for further comment.
Offseason turmoil and arrest of child's mother
The lawsuit comes during a turbulent offseason for Williamson, who represented the Pelicans at the NBA Draft Lottery.
In April, Ahkeema Love, the mother of Williamson's young daughter, was arrested in Kenner, Louisiana, an exclusive suburb of New Orleans located along Lake Pontchartrain.
Police arrested Love on Monday following allegations that she egged a rival woman's home, threatened her on social media, and later physically attacked her at Williamson's residence.
According to police reports cited by WDSU.com, the unnamed victim suffered facial lacerations during the assault. Officers stated that Love fled the scene but was apprehended nearby on Royal Palm Drive in the gated Gabriel development.
On Tuesday, a judge set Love's bond at $50,000 after she was charged with three counts: home invasion, aggravated battery, and stalking. Love was also ordered to stay away from the victim and surrender her pistol.
Police do not believe the victim in that incident or Love is the Plaintiff in the rape lawsuit against Williamson.
Past social media controversy and career record
The arrest of Love is not the first public controversy surrounding Williamson's romantic life.
In June 2023, Williamson and Love publicly announced they were expecting a baby girl. Shortly after the announcement, adult film performer Moriah Mills, 32, alleged that she was having an affair with the NBA player.
Mills shared screenshots of alleged intimate text messages on Twitter, expressing anger that Williamson had not disclosed his relationship or impending fatherhood.
In June 2023, Mills tweeted: "I was with you last week in New Orleans and you couldn't tell me you had a random thot pregnant after all I've done for you @Zionwilliamson!! Better pray I'm not pregnant too because I'm definitely late."
Mills posted 20 messages within a span of two hours and claimed to have been involved with Williamson since 2021, referring to Love as a low-budget pornstar.
Twitter subsequently suspended Mills' account after she threatened to release explicit sex tapes involving Williamson. In one post, she wrote: "You will lose all your endorsements if the sex tapes drop @ZionWilliamson!!"
On the court, Williamson was selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft but has faced playing time limitations due to injuries and conditioning issues.
Most recently, Williamson was sidelined at the conclusion of the season after sustaining a lower back contusion, despite losing weight earlier in the campaign. Over 29 games in the 2024-25 season, Williamson recorded averages of 24.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field.
